Hours after the Siena Poll came out showing Monroe County Legislator Ted O’Brien, D-Irondequoit, with an 11-point lead over Assemblyman Sean Hanna, R-Mendon, the two candidates duked it out on WHAM 1180 AM, on the Bob Lonsberry show in a heated debate that addressed campaign advertising and property taxes.

Hanna said the race is “closely watched,” and internal polling showed different numbers. O’Brien, however, said the numbers show that his message of low property taxes is effective.

Race: State Senate 55th District, Republican Sean Hanna v. Democrat Ted O’Brien, vying for a seat vacated by state Sen. James Alesi, R-Perinton, who is retiring.

Ad synopsis: The ad, which begins “Sean Hanna must have slept through science class,” dings Hanna for his environmental record in the state Assembly and concludes that his views are “too extreme for western New York families.” The ad largely reiterates claims made in an earlier mailer.

Reporter Megan DeMarco attended the 55th Senate District debate at the Riverside Convention Center Tuesday and filed this report:

Candidates for the 55th Senate District faced off Tuesday in a debate touching on upstate New York’s voice in Albany, unfunded mandates and property taxes.

The 40-minute debate, sponsored by the Rochester Rotary Club, remained civil, with the candidates largely agreeing on issues such as education. Assemblyman Sean Hanna, R-Mendon, and county legislator Ted O’Brien, D-Irondequoit, want to represent the 55th Senate District.

Monroe County legislator Ted O’Brien, D-Irondequoit, says he’s the underdog in the New York Senate District 55 campaign against Assemblyman Sean Hanna, R-Mendon. He’s outspent and has been targeted by two out-of-state groups.

The latest mailer, sent by Virginia group Common Sense Principles, is especially bruising.

“Ted O’Brien betrayed New York women by siding with a judge accused of sexual harassment,” the mailer states. O’Brien said it hit local homes this weekend.

Common Sense Principles has not responded to repeated requests for comment about who they are and why they are involved in the SD 55 race. O’Brien said he sent his nephew to the address listed on the mailer, and only found a process server where thousands of other corporate entities used as an address.

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Contributors

Jon Campbell has been covering government and politics for the Gannett Albany Bureau since May 2011. Previously, he covered health and environmental issues for the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton, N.Y., with a focus on natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale.

Joseph Spector is Gannett Albany Bureau chief and has covered New York politics and government since 2002. He was the political reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle and has since joined the Albany Bureau, covering state government for all of Gannett New York.

Brian Tumulty has worked in the Gannett Washington Bureau since 1992, first as a national business writer and then as a regional reporter for newspapers in New York, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. A native of the New York City borough of Queens, he attended high school on Long Island and college in the Bronx. He has four children and one granddaughter.

Fact Check contributors

Gary Craig's focus for much of the past decade has been on criminal justice issues. He has won regional, state and national journalism awards, including honors from Investigative Reporters and Editors and the National Headliners Awards.

Len LaCara is the exclusive enterprise editor for the Democrat and Chronicle, in charge of local news, sports and business. He also directs our political coverage.

Meaghan McDermott has been with the Democrat and Chronicle since 1998, and has come close to reaching her one-time goal of being assigned as a beat reporter to cover each of Monroe County's suburban towns and villages. Since 2006, her focus has been on the Town of Greece and the Greece Central School District.

Steve Orr has been a reporter at the Democrat and Chronicle since 1981, and has covered a wide variety of local topics. At present Orr focuses on environmental issues. Contact: E-mail | Phone (585) 258-2386 | Twitter.com/SOrr1 | Facebook.com/SteveOrrROC